1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an image forming device, a pump control method, and a recording medium which are adapted to form an image using a recording fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, image forming devices of recording-fluid discharge type are known and these image forming devices perform image formation using a recording head having a nozzle for discharging a recording fluid drop (for example, ink drop). When performing image formation, the recording head discharges an ink drop from the nozzle to a recording sheet while the recording sheet is transported.
Among the image forming devices of the above type, an image forming device including a tube pump which is provided as an ink supplying pump for supplying ink from an ink cartridge to a recording head is known. For example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3573059. In this image forming device, operation of the tube pump is started to supply ink from an ink cartridge (main tank) through a tube to a head tank (subtank) of the recording head.
When the operation of the tube pump is stopped, the tube in the tube pump is in a compressed condition. As a result, the supplying of ink through the tube is interrupted, which prevents the natural outflow of the ink from the main tank or the fluctuation of the pressure of the head tank from occurring due to negative pressure in the head tank.
However, if the tube continuously stays in the compressed condition when the supplying of ink through the tube is interrupted, the internal wall of the compressed tube may stick to a tube supporting wall of the tube pump. In such a case, even if the operation of the tube pump is reversed at a subsequent time, negative pressure in the head tank may not be formed due to the sticking of the tube, and as a result the tube pump is not operable to suck ink from the main tank.